Hubertus Bultmann - Back at HORSCH
Hubertus Bultmann is the new head of R & D – a position he already held some years ago. This year in January he returned to HORSCH. terraHORSCH asked him what made take this step.
terraHORSCH: Mister Bultmann, could you list your most important professional steps?
Hubertus Bultmann: I grew up on a farm in North Rhine-Westphalia. This was the reason why I decided to study agricultural sciences at the university in Göttingen. After I had passed my exam, I wanted to enhance the agricultural engineering part. I started a mechanical engineering studies and specialised in agricultural engineering. When I was a student, I carried out several internships and holiday jobs at home and abroad. My professional career started at a manufacturer of tractors and harvest technology. In 2010, I began working at HORSCH and my task was to build up a technical product management. I became head of R & D in 2013 and left the company at the beginning of 2015 rather for personal reasons when I was offered a job with international managerial responsibilities. At this new company I gathered experiences in a global corporate structure I wouldn’t want to miss. In January 2019 I returned to HORSCH as the head of R & D and I am responsible for all products of the sectors seed drills, tillage and logistics.
But not for the plant protection sector?
Hubertus Bultmann: That’s right. It is Theo Leeb who is responsible for the development of the plant protection technology. I very much appreciate the close contact to the colleagues in Landau. We work closely together on subjects like electronic developments. For the future, I want to include some electronic solutions from the self-propelled sprayers in the trailed technology and thus offer the customer an additional benefit.
It also is part of my job to get my hands dirty.
What exactly is your task as the head of R & D?
Hubertus Bultmann: My task is to organise the HORSCH product developments in a strategic way and to manage all business units that are part of R & D. It is our objective to offer the best machines on the market! And we always try to stick to our three principles – faster, simpler, safer: When a cultivation method regardless of the numerous influences from outside always works reliably and precisely – no matter if it is a cultivator or a seed drill – the advantages are enormous. The optimum, of course, is that the machine in addition also can be operated easily and intuitively. If due to a faster cultivation and the resulting increased hectare output, we even can save time, the cost advantages are measurable immediately. To make sure that we and thus our developments are always close to the customer, I attach great importance to maintain my network with the farmers, but also with the driving forces of our sector. This is not only true for me, but also for my team. It is the only way to understand the requirements of the farmers and what they expect from us.
How often are you yourself out in the field with the customer?
Hubertus Bultmann: I spend approx. 30 per cent of my time on business trips which preferably take me to the farms of our customers and in the field. This is where I get important feedback and the impulses to take the right decisions.
Why did you return to HORSCH?
Hubertus Bultmann: I did not deliberately plan it, but it still happened. After some intensive discussions with my family we decided to go for it. One of the crucial factors, beside the good personal relationship to the Horsch family, was the focus that HORSCH puts on the customer: Due to the agricultural roots of the company we are close to the customer and to agronomic trends. Everything we do is always questioned with regard to the real additional benefit for the customer. I really like this attitude and it motivates me. For I am not only an engineer but also a farmer.